Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-29
DIR. GARDENERS WIFE
Her Tureral Yesterday-Dslegatss to the
Roanoke Convention-0ther
Manchester Items.


Manchester Items.
The funeral Of Mrs. DR.. Charles X.
Gardner, who died at the residence OF
her husband, at the corner Of Seventh
and Semmss streets, this city, Tuesday
night. after brief illness, took place
from the First Baptist church, Rich
mond. at 81 O'Clock yesterday morning.
The services, which were quite large
" attended, were conducted by the
pastor, Rev. George Cooper, ID. d..
and the remains were inferred in Hol-
lywood cemetery, to which place they
were followed by long line OF carriages
filled with the friends of deceased, who
was cut down in the bloom OF youth at
the age of twenty-four years.
WANTED A POsT MoRTEM.
The Diepatch yesterday stated that
some Of the relatives of the deceased IN
Richmond desired that post mOrtcm
be made, that others opposed such
action, and that these facts Were com
municatedto Chief-of-Police Lipscomb,
OF this city, who was making further
inquiry into the matter.
An aunt OF he deceased drove over
from Richmond yesterday morning to
see Mayor Taylor with relation to the
matter. She went first to the Office OF
the City Sergeant, and was there d.
rectcd TO the Mayors Court. On the
wav to the courtroom she met with
Commonwealth's Attorney Page, to
whom she made known her wishes. She
was an elderly lady, and evinced both
feeling and excitement. She in sub
stance said that she believed the death
Of her niece to be the result OF foul
play. She did not desire to stop the
funeral, but thonght that after the fu-
neral a post-m0rtcm examination should
be made.
Mr.. Page at once went to see Coro-
ner S. l.. Ingram, and they talked the
matter over. The Coroner had no facts
before him to justify him in taking i'm
mediate steps for a post n'ortem.
BROTHER AND SISTER OPPOSED.
The message received by Captain
Lipscomb from Officer Sweeney, OF
the Richmond police force, Wednesday
night was to the effect that some Of
the dead womans relatives, suspectlng
foul play, desired a post morton, but
before taking any steps in the matter
wished that Mrs. George Gerald, OF this
CITY; Mrs. Gardner's sister, who was
with her during her illness, should be
seen and her opinion asked concerning
the matter, and whether or not she
wished an examination made.
Between and 9 o'clock yesterday
morning Captain Lipscomb called at
tie residence Of this lady, on Twelfth
street, and found that she had gone
down to Dr. Gardner's. He fastened
there and found both her and
Der brother, MIR. Minor He took
them into room upstairs
and held private conversation with
them. Mr. Minor said that they de
sired no post mOrfcm. They were
satisfied that it would not result
in detecting foul play or the part
Of DR.. Gardner. They were salts
fed that all the medicine taken
lv deceased was prescribed by DE-.
Mathews, in whom they had all conf
donce, and they were suTc that death
was the result Of natural causes. The
officer took no further steps than to lay
these facts before the Coroner. He
Captain Lipscomb) was satisfied that
an inquest was unnecessary.
HARD TO DETECT.
Early Wednesday morning Mr. i. |.
! Christian. an undertaken OF Richmond,
was sent for, and he came over and en-
banned the body, using the usual com
pounds. Mr.. Christian was asked
Ly DiSpdtch reporter yesterday
| afternoon if tie cmbalming fluid in
jected into the body contained arsnical
properties. lie replied that he thought
so. but he did not know the ingredient
Of the compound. lie thought that
they contained both arsenic and corro-
sive sublimate.
Mr.. Page yesterday morning went to
sco Coroner Taylor, of Richmond, and
asked if ombalming the body would
interfere with the detection Of poi
son. He agreed with DR.. Ingram
that the chemicals referred IL
above used in embalming would
interfere with the detection OF arseni-
cal poison that from the symptomsde-
scribed, if any poison was used at all II
was arsenic or something OF hke
character, and its detection would mere
ly be problematic.
NOTHING WRONG.
DR.. Mathews, Of this city, who at
tended Mrs. Gardner Tuesday night
when she died, said to Coroner Ingram
Yesterday that to him there did not ap-
pcer any suspicious circumstances sur
rounding her death that he was sent
| for by DR.. Gardner, and when he
reached the house he found Mrs. Carl
ncr in a dying condition, sufferine
| from acute gastritis and violent retca-
| ing. He gave her medicine which pro
| lonced her life about twenty minutcs,
| and saws that she was too far gone u
be able 10 speak when he saw her.
Or. Mathews further said that DR.
Gardner seemed very much affected
when he ascertained that bis wife was
diving. and seemed to be very anxious
TO do everything to alleviate her suffer
ing. DR.. Moseley, of Richmond, also
attended Mrs. Gardner, and was there
with Or. Mathews.
NOT DECIDED.
Commonwealth's-Attorney Page and
Coroner Ingram were both seen by a
Dispatch reporter last night. The
fo,mer said that he really had nothing
to do with the matter; that he had
only interested himself because seen
by Mrs. Gardner's aunt, but
from all that he had been able to learn
he could not see the necessity OF an
inquest. Furthermore, he did not be-
lieve that the poison would be detected
(eyen if it had been used) if the body
were disinterred.
The Coroner said that he had no facts
that would warrant him in having iho
body disinterred. The relatives were
divided, and the statement OF Dr.
Mathews went to show decidedly thai
there had been nothing wrong. He
had been over to see DIR. Moseiey du
ring the day, but, failing to find hin,
| had left a message. He expects to re-
ceiye o note from the Doctor thi:
morning. -,
What DR.. Moseley has to say will, o
course. have it's weight upon the Coro